Blue sea, white sand and a clear blue sky — the combination I still hope for every time I visit Tanjung Aan Beach in Central Lombok. This pretty stretch of coast on the bay of Kuta Lombok keeps getting more famous, because it is almost always a must-stop on beach tour packages, whether or not the day is combined with a visit to Sade traditional village.
These days, though, Tanjung Aan deserves a repeat visit, because there is another spot you really should see once you are here: Pantai Batu Payung (Batu Payung Beach), better known simply as Batu Payung.
Around forty-five minutes there and back by boat from Tanjung Aan Beach, Batu Payung is already inviting from a distance, sitting right at the far tip of the line of hills on the left-hand side of Tanjung Aan.
The name Batu Payung (umbrella rock) comes from one of the huge rocks standing at this spot. It is so big that its shadow can ‘shelter’ anyone taking cover from the blazing sun. In practice, though, Batu Payung is far more often used as a photo prop, with visitors posing as if they had superpowers: pushing it over, lifting it with the palm of a hand, or even balancing the whole rock on the tip of a little finger! Great fun.
Since most people reach it by crossing over on a boat, fellow travellers should set aside a little extra budget to get to Batu Payung. Boat hire ranges from IDR 250K for local visitors up to IDR 300K or 450K for domestic and international travellers.
To get the most out of exploring and shooting photos at Batu Payung Beach, it is worth agreeing terms with your boatman while you are still on Tanjung Aan Beach. Give him an estimate of the longest you plan to stay, for example. It is no fun to be in the middle of working out your best pose with Batu Payung and find that the boatman has headed back to Tanjung Aan on his own because he got tired of waiting through your photo session.
Besides the classic poses with Batu Payung itself, you can explore other views too, such as the swell and the big waves breaking over the rocks out at sea, all visible from Batu Payung Beach. A hill on the opposite side from Batu Payung is tempting to climb as well. The open ocean makes a dramatic backdrop with Batu Payung as the main subject. Writing this suddenly makes me miss the place.
Batu Payung is distinctive enough to be picked out from several other lovely beaches along Lombok’s long southern coastline, not only from Tanjung Aan. If you like beaches with big rolling waves, Gerupuk Beach, roughly half an hour to an hour’s drive from Tanjung Aan, comes recommended as a must-visit spot.
On the way to the sail-shaped rock that is the landmark of Gerupuk Beach, there is a point along the road where you can look across at Batu Payung Beach from the east. Just as beautiful a view, of course.
The best time to visit Batu Payung Beach is any day, all week and all year round — whenever your holiday happens to fall. That said, across my many trips here, the clear days through July and August have delivered the best photographs. Blue sky and blue sea all around, plus the white foam of waves breaking over the rocks, out in the middle of the sea too, make a perfect backdrop.
Come and holiday on Lombok Island and see the enchanting Batu Payung Beach for yourself!
